Fishing report: Offshore fishing described as 'unbelievable'

Thursday

Feb 27, 2014 at 11:17 AMFeb 27, 2014 at 11:43 AM

Fishing the reefs offshore have become a can't-miss outing for boats out of Ponce Inlet.

By Godwin Kellygodwin.kelly@news-jrnl.com

OFFSHORE: Fishing the many reefs offshore has become a can't-miss outing for boats heading into open waters out of Ponce Inlet. Capt. Michael Mulholland, seaspiritfishing.com, said bottom fishing has been “unbelievable.” Capt. Thad “Leebo” Lingo has been on several expeditions and come back to the Inlet Harbor docks with a bounty of fish. “Vermilion snapper, black sea bass, redeyes, flounder, Lane snapper, you name it and they've caught it,” Mulholland said. “I have never seen so many cobia caught like we've been catching them.” The Sea Spirit is averaging three cobia each trip. The biggest cobia, caught Saturday, tipped the scales at 45 pounds. “When the weather is nice, we get out,” Mulholland said. “When we get out, we've been tearing them up.” Tim O'Donnell, Fishin' Cove Bait & Tackle, New Smyrna Beach, had the same report from the south side of the inlet. “The boats going out are doing pretty good,” he said. “Triggerfish, black sea bass, some dolphin and a few Wahoo. Spring fishing is really starting to kick in right now. If you can get out, go.” MOSQ. LAGOON, INDIAN RIVER: Greg Noel, Lagoon Bait & Tackle, Edgewater, said there's a heavy shrimp run in the river with commercial fishermen netting up to 60 pounds an outing. Recreational anglers are allowed five gallons of shrimp (heads on) per day. Haulover Canal continues to produce big black drum while anglers are catching monster trout, up to 32 inches long, in the lagoon. Noel said one of his regulars caught a 6-foot hammerhead in the river. TOMOKA BASIN, RIVER: Capt. Paul Messick, tomokaguide.com, said in an email report that recent rain has affected the water. “The water is cloudy and rising in all areas of the Tomoka system with all this rain,” he said. “The basin has some really nice groups of redfish roaming around with a few bruisers mixed in. Getting them to eat is the tough part.”SURF, PIERS: Surfcasters are happy because a wave of pompano have made their way into our breakers. “Pompano and whiting, lots of pompano,” O'Donnell said. “They're catching more of them on sand fleas.” The Fishin' Hole, downtown Daytona, reports a steady bite of whiting and blues at the Daytona Beach Pier. PONCE INLET, HALIFAX RIVER: The inlet is stuffed with over-slot reds. The river is yielding black drum, reds and trout, but mostly at night.MATANZAS INLET, RIVER: Capt. Chris Herrera, palmcoastfishing.com, said trout, reds and black drum are hiding in deeper holes in the creeks and attacking mullet and mud minnows. The inlet is loaded with blues.ST. JOHNS RIVER: Capt. Bryn Rawlins, Highland Park Fish Camp, DeLand, said the speckled perch bite is at its best right now. “We're seeing a lot of limits and big fish, a lot of specks over two pounds,” she said. The bass bite is good in Lake Woodruff.